1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to semiconductor memory devices, and more specifically, to test circuitry for semiconductor memory devices.
2. Related Art
A typical semiconductor static random-access memory (SRAM) device includes word lines, a pair of bit lines, and memory cells with cell latches and pass devices connected at intersections between the word lines and the pair of bit lines. The pass devices of the memory cells are connected to the pair of bit lines through bitline contacts. During a read or write operation, these bitline contacts allow the contents of the memory cell to be successfully read from or written into the cell latch. Bitline contacts that have too much resistance (resistive bitline contacts) will not properly allow the memory cell to be read from or written into. Resistive bitline contacts may occur as a result of mechanical failures or non-conductive materials that are formed between the pass devices and the bitline, and are hard to detect since the pass devices have a large series resistance (e.g., typically in the 10K ohm range) compared to the resistive bitline contact.
Although bitline contacts may be tested with the testing of the memory cell or bitlines, most manufacturing tests have difficulty recognizing a borderline resistive bitline contact and will generally pass the bitline contact and memory cell. When the resistive bitline contact is then used in the system under a slightly different voltage and/or temperature, the resistive bitline contact may then fail, rendering the corresponding memory cell inoperable.
Accordingly, a need has developed in the art for a semiconductor memory device test that will improve detection of resistive bitline contacts.